A Conversation with HE Ambassador Masood Khan, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States

This is a free event for members. Lunch will not be provided at this time.

Please join the World Affairs Council at noon on January 12 for an in-person conversation with His Excellency Masood Khan, Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to the United States. Ambassador (ret.) Asif Chaudhry, Vice President for International Programs at Washington State University (and the newest member of the Council's Board of Directors), will moderate the program.

About the Speaker

Ambassador Masood Khan is currently serving as Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States. Prior to his appointment in 2022, he was the President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir from August 2016 to August 2021. Before becoming the President, Ambassador Khan was the Director General of the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad, one of the top think tanks in Pakistan.

Ambassador Masood Khan has also a distinguished diplomatic career. Most notably, he served as Spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2003 to 2005; Pakistan’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organizations in Geneva, Switzerland, from 2005 to 2008; Pakistan’s Ambassador to China from 2008 to 2012; and Pakistan’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Headquarters, New York, from 2012 to 2015. Ambassador Masood Khan also remained Pakistan’s Chief Negotiator (Sherpa) for the US-led Nuclear Security Summits, from 2009 to 2015.

In the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he has served as Director General United Nations, Director General Nuclear Disarmament, Director General Organization of Islamic Cooperation and Director General East Asia and Pacific. Earlier, he was Director Secretary General’s Office and Director International Conferences.

His areas of specialization include nuclear diplomacy, South Asia, Pak-China relations, Pak-US relations, e-governance, multilateral diplomacy and international humanitarian law, among others.

About the Moderator

Ambassador Asif Chaudhry became the Vice President for International Programs (IP) at Washington State University in June 2015. He is the chief international relations officer at the University and is responsible for IP’s role in carrying out WSU’s mission of global engagement. Ambassador Chaudhry manages WSU’s extensive internationalization program that focuses on establishing strategic partnerships with governments and educational institutions across the globe.

Ambassador Chaudhry recently retired from the United States Government as a Senior Foreign Service Officer where he held numerous leadership positions in the Departments of State, Defense and Agriculture. In his final assignment with the U.S. government, he was the Vice President of the Commodity Credit Corporation managing a $5.5 billion portfolio of credit guarantee programs to support expansion of exports of U.S. products.

In July 2014, Ambassador Chaudhry completed a three-year assignment as the Foreign Policy Advisor to the Chief of United States Navy (CNO) at the Pentagon. He also previously served as the U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Moldova from 2008-11; the Deputy Administrator for the Office of Global Analysis at FAS (2006-08); Minister-Counselor for Agricultural Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, Egypt (2002-06); Counselor for Agricultural Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow (1996-99); and as Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Warsaw, Poland (1992-95).

Ambassador Chaudhry received his Ph.D., in ag-economics from Washington State University and a master’s degree from the American University of Beirut in Lebanon. He completed his undergraduate work at the University of Punjab in Pakistan. He speaks Russian, Arabic, Polish, Urdu and Punjabi, and received a Presidential Meritorious Service Award for his contributions in the conduct of U.S. Foreign Policy.

The Boeing Company is an underwriting sponsor of all World Affairs Council Community Programs.